Photo: Hector Bottai / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Long-tufted Screech Owl
Megascops sanctaecatarinae
Long-tufted Screech Owl (Megascops sanctaecatarinae) — Owls of South America.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Long-tufted Screech Owl (Megascops sanctaecatarinae) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South America. Adults weigh 180 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Megascops
- Species sanctaecatarinae
Quick facts
- Weight
- 180 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Long-tufted Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Long-tufted Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Long-tufted Screech Owl (Megascops sanctaecatarinae) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It is found across South America. Its distribution covers SA se Brazil, ne Argentina and Uruguay.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 180 g, with a wing length of about 20.1 cm and a tail of around 10.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 418,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Long-tufted Screech Owl?
The Long-tufted Screech Owl is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 180 g.
Where does the Long-tufted Screech Owl live?
The Long-tufted Screech Owl is found across South America with a range covering SA se Brazil, ne Argentina and Uruguay, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Long-tufted Screech Owl belong to?
The Long-tufted Screech Owl (Megascops sanctaecatarinae) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Long-tufted Screech Owl eat?
The Long-tufted Screech Owl is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Long-tufted Screech Owl migrate?
The Long-tufted Screech Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Long-tufted Screech Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Long-tufted Screech Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Long-tufted Screech Owl can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Long-tufted Screech Owl's range?
The Long-tufted Screech Owl has a mapped global range of about 418,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.